Heat - they're coming out of the East... came out guns blazing and sent a message with that win.

Knicks - this team should be soooo much better, I can't figure out why they seem to do so poorly though, they're out after this round. When Lebron puts up more points than all of your starters.... you're in trouble

Clippers - I turned last night's game off when the Grizzlys were up 25 with 9 minutes left... woke up this morning to a 1 pt. clipper win....I think they will still lose this round despite the comeback. Too sloppy for too much of the game, comebacks like that don't happen all that often.

Memphis - I thought they looked great for 40 minutes... then, lord only knows what happened. I think they will beat the clippers and be knocked out next round by the Spurs

Spurs - They're going to win this round, going to win in the 2nd round and then it will make for a very interesting West match up facing either Lakers or OKC

Jazz - done in 5

Lakers - yesterday they showed off just how powerful the big men can be... I think if Bynum can keep up this level of play they could very well win the West.

Nuggets - just a speed bump for the Lakers

Celtics - Even with all the age and experience I just don't see them getting through this round... I hate Rondo so I was glad to see him bounced - wondering if a suspension is coming

Hawks - I would have said they would be out in round two from the Bulls but honestly with Rose goneI think the Hawks may just face the Heat for the Eastern champ.

Bulls - without Rose I see them out in round two, sucks because a Heat v. Bulls series would have been great.

76ers - even with Rose gone I don't see them getting out of the first round

Mavs - I think they can win this series but they have to make sure THEY set the pace of the game, they cannot run with OKC in a shootout.

OKC - I love Durrant but HATE Westbrook... so I hope they make it to the finals to play the Heat but do it off Durrant's back, not Westbrook.... I could see them losing to the Mavs though.

Very nice, thoughtful post.
"Knicks - this team should be soooo much better, I can't figure out why they seem to do so poorly though," Its melo, great scorer, terrible teammate. Its Amare, because he cant stay engaged and doesnt rebound. Note to Amare...there is a little hammer on the side of the fire extinguisher for a reason.
After rose went down (again) Im confident it will be the heat out of the east.
Heat, Lebron, nothing on the planet like him.
The West is going to be more interesting. I caught the second half of Memphis/Clipper gm 1. Cannot remember ever seeing any team come back down 24 with 8 min to go in the 4th. These 2 teams seem to match up well and will probably beat up on each other for 7 games, edge to more depth and memphis.
OKC is super athletic and have 3 guys in Westbrook, Harden and Durant that can attack and score, Dallas played them very well again last night, Something inside me says they are beatable, that someting is often wrong tho.
San Antonio with the best record still seems to me to be a sleeper pick. Great coach and it matters in the playoffs. They play more disciplined, they have unknowns coming off the bench that produced all season. I think they could beat okc.
The Lakers may be peaking at just the right time but they almost need the perfect storm. Ebanks and Hill couldnt crack the rotation all season and in the last week of the season have contributed greatly. Makes the Lakers deeper in what was a huge hole all season long. If Bynum plays like he has shown that he can, If the bench can play well, if Artest comes back and continues his scoring and "D", if Gasol plays well, if Kobe...I refuse to count out Kobe and the two 7 footers, that said there may be too many "ifs" that need to happen, if they do they can take it all.
Spurs V. Heat...i have strong dislike for the heat.

Kobe proved his lack of leadership in the postgame presser. He could have stepped up and claimed to be at fault for his turnover to durant, and the one where westbrook almost touched the ball before it went off kobe. Neither turnover happens, and the lakers win. OKC vs Spurs should be a great, great series. Will probably be better than the finals when the celtics are playing either OKC or the Spurs.

Last night was a heart breaker. Just ridiculous how they gave that game away. Kobe should have definitely stepped up and took fault, he fcked up. However I don't think he proved any "lack of leadership" as if you are implying he does this regularly. Two turn overs in at the end of the game doesn't make you a bad leader entirely.

In the end the defense in the paint against Harden's drives is what killed us. Now THAT was unacceptable.

His turnovers isnt what makes him a bad leader. His lack of ownership of said turnovers is. He said that OKC was making risky plays on those balls, and he was not expecting that. As if that half assed lob inbounds pass that Durant stole was a risky play by Durant. Gimme a break. Pure laziness on kobe in that situation.

I think he (24) did half ass his job at the conclusion in game 2, and that was only 3 ( durants steal, missed pass, bad shot) of the bad plays that eventually caused the loss. Stepping up to take the blame may have been nice but not necc. or needed. If sessions makes his dunk, if blake hits that 3, if....they just should have won and they didnt. Playing 46 minutes doesnt cut it in the post season.

I think LA can get another win tonight, but this will be their last win of the playoffs...... an OKC v. Spurs West final will be GREAT!... a few weeks ago I would have said OKC would take the west for sure, but man o man are the Spurs looking good.

I was going to be really worried about the Heat if they would have lost last night, but Wade showed back up and Lebron is just a freak of nature. I wish I didn't have to work today so I could see how Skip would somehow try and diminish Lebron's play last night.
L. James - 40 Pts, 18 Reb, 9 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk .... that is an insane stat line, and they got the win.

As much as I hate the Celtics I hope they win their current series so Miami can beat them..... and God forbid its a 76ers v Pacers East final, that would totally kill my NBA buzz.

Its so hard to watch the Thunder be as good as they are knowing that they should still be the Sonics. I really like the guys on the team and how they go about their business without a bunch of drama. Still can't drink Starbucks coffee...

I love the Thunder except for Westbrook... something about his face makes me hate him so much.... he just always looks stupid, whiny, or smug... sometimes all of the above. I love KD and the rest of the team though.

I really hope it is a Miami v. OKC finals, it will be great to see them duke it out.

Seems like I am in the minority but I would love to see Lebron get not one, not two, not three..... well you get the picture. I was too young/didn't care about basketball during the Jordan era, so this is my next best thing.

Oh yeah they're going to be good for a while assuming they can keep the nucleus together. They have a great group of talented young guys that are more concerned with the teams final score than their own. They're all bought in and believe in themselves as a whole. Just wish they were wearing grean and gold.

Durant and Collison the only guys on the Thunder that were a Sonics? Agree, the thunder are a deep group of guys that just want to win. I think they will be really good til they have to start paying all those guys. Its the beauty of drafting really well and your draft picks becoming stars. Did anyone think Westbrook or Harden would be so good so quick? What if Portland took Durant and not the retiree, Oden.
Spurs are such a sleeper-like team I have no idea how they will match up w/ OKC. Dont care who comes out of the West as long as they end up with rings. So easy to hate with the SoBeach boys sayin ...not one, not two, not three....not six...they're not. Lebron has been a freaking beast.

Lebron has been a beast for the past couple of games. then wade finally woke up and started playing too and it really made a difference. Now the question is can lebron play like that every game for the rest of the play offs? i think he could but probably won't.

Just found this on another site earlier today. Kind of puts things in a little better perspective.

I'm officially pulling for the old men Spurs now and maybe the SIxers. Can't find it in my heart to root for the zombie Sonics even though I really like their team. The Heat, well, I don't like any of them at all. So, go Spurs!!!

As a Laker fan by default I have always hated the Celtics. I hate Paul Pierce even more. Pierce stepped up and drained that 3 in Lebrons face...dagger time baby. Garnett has been awesome, If Pierce is The Truth, Garnett is The Difference. Does anyone else think that its completely stupid of Wade to do an after game interview, after a HUGE loss, in FAKE glasses? WTF? Way to go loser. Miami fans jumping off their bandwagon even before they play game 6...they are just like their team. Miami is definatly more Hollywood than LA.

As a Laker fan by default I have always hated the Celtics. I hate Paul Pierce even more. Pierce stepped up and drained that 3 in Lebrons face...dagger time baby. Garnett has been awesome, If Pierce is The Truth, Garnett is The Difference. Does anyone else think that its completely stupid of Wade to do an after game interview, after a HUGE loss, in FAKE glasses? WTF? Way to go loser. Miami fans jumping off their bandwagon even before they play game 6...they are just like their team. Miami is definatly more Hollywood than LA.

All those "hipster" nba guys are morons. As someone who needs glasses to see, it pisses me off seeing those idiots wearing fake glasses in their postgame pressers. They all look like idiots.
I hope OKC sweeps the celtics.

Congrats to OKC, the team to go thru for the next few years in the West. As odd as it feels to pull for Boston, I am til the finals begin. Wont matter cause OKC will beat them w/ extreme prejudice. OKC has scorers, rebounding, size, speed, defense, and confidence. The east should just forfit...save their pride and energy. Make your picks ...OKC in 5 V. either.

These playoffs have been really awesome to watch. It's kind of nice to be able to sit back and just enjoy some really great basketball, without worrying about my own team.

Like you Darrel, it goes against everything in me to root for the Celtics. For some reason though, I hate Miami slightly more... so come on Celtics!

Either way, I expect OKC to come out on top in the finals. What a fantastic group they've put together. In my opinion.. the best fans in the NBA. They really love that team and it's nice to see. It's hard to hate on the Thunder.

I am assuming the NBA would rather have the Heat in the finals I really hope they don't. I can't stand Lebron and all the idiot bandwagon Heat fans. They are probably the same idiots who all of a sudden became Celtics fans a few years, became Red Sox fans all of a sudden right after they won the world series, etc... God I hate bandwagon fans who try to pass themselves off as lifetime, diehard fans. They can go to the same place stupid arse hipsters with their stupid glasses, flanel shirts, oversize beanies and skinny jeans can go.

The first time that the Heat met the Mavs in the finals, I become a Wade fan. He displayed not only an incredible amount of talent, but also the huge heart and will of a champion. This last time had just the opposite effect on me. I thought him to be arrogant, pompous, and a bit of a punk. I've always thought that of Queen James.
I hope the Heat get destroyed tonight! Go Celtics

The first time that the Heat met the Mavs in the finals, I become a Wade fan. He displayed not only an incredible amount of talent, but also the huge heart and will of a champion. This last time had just the opposite effect on me. I thought him to be arrogant, pompous, and a bit of a punk. I've always thought that of Queen James.
I hope the Heat get destroyed tonight! Go Celtics

Then OKC can go on and win it all

I have noticed the same thing. Wade use to be this crazy competitor that wanted the ball at the end of the game and showed extreme will to win. I think since Lebron has become the focus Wade has really changed. The bad part is Lebron doesn't show that game on the line toughness, especially at the end of games that Wade use to. Sure Lebron throws up crazy numbers but he just doesn't seem to get it done at the end of the 4th quarter when the game is on the line.

Comparing Lebron and Kobe is kind of like comparing Joe Montana and Dan Marino. One has crazy good numbers and a ton of talent. The other has lots of talent, really good numbers but wins championships. I will take the guy who wins championships over the guy who puts up crazy numbers but then again, Kobe put up absolutely crazy numbers while winning champioships.

Im from OH was never a Cavs fan but did have a chance to see Lebron play as a jr on high school. He was amazing then and is still a great player. So it didnt bother me he left his home city to come to Miami. Just means I get to see him play more since I live in FL.

Looks like he played well tonight...45 points. I missed the game bc I was at the Avicii concert instead.

^^^2nd time Ive seen him now...he's now touring arenas so its a much larger scale production. Was a good solid 2 hrs of just him. Ive never seen soo much jailbait around though (well, theyre prob college age but make me feel old). Had floor tickets.

Comparing Lebron and Kobe is kind of like comparing Joe Montana and Dan Marino. One has crazy good numbers and a ton of talent. The other has lots of talent, really good numbers but wins championships. I will take the guy who wins championships over the guy who puts up crazy numbers but then again, Kobe put up absolutely crazy numbers while winning champioships.

I always hate the argument to put guys down a notch because of a lack of championships.... its a team game not an individual sport. One guy can control his numbers but not the rest of the guys on the court/ice/field/whatever. With that said, if he cannot muster of a ring or two with the current Heat roster, then I maybe we'll talk about why he can't win championships (because they're stacked).

I hear a ton of people say that Lebron can't be considered one of the greatest players until he gets a ring, or five, or six, or seven.... why the heck not?! The guy is a monster on the court... pure freak to be so big, strong, fast, and have his skill levels on top of the athleticism. I'm to young to have seen any of the greats of old, and honestly didn't give two sh*ts about basketball and/or Jordan until Space Jam came out.... I can look at these guys stats, but without being able to see the magic they made live, as it was happening, it is hard to appreciate, but with Lebron I can see it as it happens. He is like the Jordan of my era... not to take away from Kobe either because while I don't like the Lakers as a whole, Kobe is an amazing player. Lebron on the court just has that feel of anything could happen, but whatever it may be is going to be impressive.

...rant over, I am a big Lebron supporter..... Wade is awesome since his days of playing in Wisconsin..... Go Heat!....until the Bucks can get good again.

Lebron is simply one of the most talented guys to ever play the game. Period. Even if you hate his personality, denying his talent just makes people look foolish... just like he single-handedly made the Celtics look foolish last night.

I love hoops and have mad respect for players with true talent... not to mention the guys who have tons of heart. The ideal are the dudes that have both. That's why I have love for the whole Celtics squad... Pierce, KG, Allen... those guys are incredible. And Rondo is proving to be a beast. But they're tired. They've been winning on will alone.

Miami has been winning on talent alone. Last night, King James brought the will. If the rest of the squad follows his lead (especially D Wade) they'll be completely unstoppable.

For the record, I'm currently a man without a team. I've been a Sonics fan most of my life. I can't root for OKC... that, to me, would be like cheering for the dude who's currently banging your wife. Still, no denying their talent.

I hear a ton of people say that Lebron can't be considered one of the greatest players until he gets a ring, or five, or six, or seven.... why the heck not?! The guy is a monster on the court... pure freak to be so big, strong, fast, and have his skill levels on top of the athleticism. I'm to young to have seen any of the greats of old, and honestly didn't give two sh*ts about basketball and/or Jordan until Space Jam came out.... I can look at these guys stats, but without being able to see the magic they made live, as it was happening, it is hard to appreciate, but with Lebron I can see it as it happens. He is like the Jordan of my era... not to take away from Kobe either because while I don't like the Lakers as a whole, Kobe is an amazing player. Lebron on the court just has that feel of anything could happen, but whatever it may be is going to be impressive..

Do you consider Oscar Robertson an all time great? The guy put up better numbers then LBJ.

But I dont consider him an all time great. Dude didnt have the IT factor, the mental drive of the best. Neither does LBJ.

"He didn't close (even though he wasn't in the game)
He only had 5 assists, not being a team player
He was "show boating" (he tried it the other day, why not again)."
and... Was terrible at the charity stripe...
Bayless and StevenA are pretty entertaining
Bummer there was not much game to watch last night, one of the few that were over in the first QTR.
I like that this season there is only one day off between games, seems like it keeps the momentum going strong in a series.

Lebron isnt the GOAT, he could have been, maybe still can? I think his talent is probably higher than anyone else even MJ, hell, he could have ditched high school jumped to the nba and would have been an Allstar at 17 yrs old. Gets a lot of scrutiny and often deserved, but... Dude was just flatout sick last night, with the jumper falling he is unstoppable. Kinda looked a lot like that guy who used to be a Cav. Will those "J's" drop in the closeout game? Can the Celtics win a game 7 in Miami? Will Wade sho up? Will the Celtic "mis-teek" travel, which Pierce, Garnett and Allen will be there? and important stuff like...If the Heat loses...will wade rock the no-lens look at the presser?

Wilt #1!! "Like"
So hard to compare across eras. If Oscar Robertson is not one of the all time greats...who is? 30-10 and 10 in his rookie year, 11 or 12 All nba and allstar team, league mvp...open up your history book youngman. In his day...they didnt worry about the "it" factor, wear fake glasses or rock a beanie in 90 degree weather. Maybe im just gettin old.

BronBron was at his best last night. Can't wait for game 7. I don't really know where everyone is getting the "Heat Bandwagon" from, they are the most hated team in the NBA by far. If anything it should be the "Hater Bandwagon"
LBJ is easily the best in the league and last night proved it. The guy can play every position and play it well.
I would take 5 Lebrons vs. any other 5 players you can come up with. Last person to score 45 points and get 15 rebounds in a playoff game was Wilt. That is crazy.
But none of this will matter if he doesn't win a ring or multiple rings. That is why MJ is the GOAT.

Lebron shat on my take of him yesterday. One thing I will say is he still has a lot of bball lef tin him and if he can find that will to win and wanting the ball in his hands at the end of each game as well as wins a championship or 2 he will go down as one of the all time greats.

. The guy can play every position and play it well.
I would take 5 Lebrons vs. any other 5 players you can come up with.

That is why I honestly think with or without championships he'll go down in the top 10 all time.... I've never seen a player that can play so many positions so well. He could play on either side of the ball with the best in the league at the point, sg, sf, or pf.... its amazing he can lock down a power forward one game and then lock down derrick rose the next. It goes back to his insane athleticism.

Can I root for both teams to lose in the finals? I don't like the heat or their players. I like the Sonics, I mean Thunder, players but can't root for them since they were stolen from Seattle. Hopefully a meteor kills david stern and they cancel the NBA finals.

Did you do it in high school and/or college?? Id think if you didnt youd be repremanded by the coaching staff, hell other pro sports teams will fine you.

I dont like them anyways so i dont care.

Yes i did in both high school and college. At that level its more about representing your university and and school in the proper way. The NBA is different... besides none of them guys like each other anyway so why be fake?

Definitely going to have to agree with polarbill on the Euros!!!! gonna be a good one.

as for the NBA. i think it all depends on how lebron plays. if he really wants to win it. he'll have 4, 45pt games again and win it. if he doesn't and plays like crap then OKC will win. every game the heat wins is all dependant on how he plays. sad but true. even with bosch or wade, which are good players. it all depends on queen james.

Can I root for both teams to lose in the finals? I don't like the heat or their players. I like the Sonics, I mean Thunder, players but can't root for them since they were stolen from Seattle. Hopefully a meteor kills david stern and they cancel the NBA finals.

Good thing Euro 2012 is on so I can watch something better.

haha! awesome, I'm rooting for the same thing, but if I had to choose I'm going with OKC. I'd like nothing more than to see Lebron lose in the Finals yet again.

Isiah was only liked by a handful of teamates, and Magic. he is still one of the best pure point guards to have played the game though. will go down as one of the worst executives in history as well. he was the reason I started to like basketball.

Honestly i am convinced Labron Doesn't realize how good he is. When Lebron attacks the basket he is virtually unstoppable, yet he rarely does it. I've never seen an elite baller pass as much as he does. Wade has no trouble playing 1 on 1 yet Lebron seems gun shy half the time.

At 6'8 260 with 42" hops Lebron needs to get the eye of the tiger and take the game over. Being an old Bulls fan in my mind if the Bulls were down I always new Jordan would bring them back, and 90% of the time he did. One thing Jordan posses over all these guys is the absolute will to win. In the end, he knew what it took to get the W. I miss those days. I will say I believe Lebron posses the potential to be better then MJ I just am not sure he has the mental toughness and confidence to actually get there. So far Durant is coming out smelling like a rose and looking like an MVP

LeBron wants to win. Jordan HATED to lose. There's a huge difference.
Physically, I do beleive James is the better athlete... but Jordan had a will to win like no one before or since. I don't think that's something James can "get". You have it or you don't.

Tonight was some incredible TEAM hoops from Miami... handing OKC their first home loss in the playoffs. What a great game to watch. What a great series.
GO HEAT!

Cmon OKC, you are the ones who are sposed to be a TEAM. Fisher, DCook,Collison,Sefelosha,Perk,Ibaka...all those guys 2,3,4 points aint gonna do it. I think Hardin needs to be more aggressive too. OKC should get back on track and take at least one in Miami. When did Battier morph into RayAllen? Go Thunder!

Yes Battier had the hot hand the first 2 games for sure, but when you rattle one in off the back board from straight on like he did that was just dumb luck. I will say this, I have always been an NBA fan but the past few years i havent really followed it. I am very impressed by kevin Durrant. I had no idea he was 6'11 good Lord that dude is the man. As much as I like Lebron, after watching these last 2 games Durrant has really caught my attention with his amazing shooting especially in those clutch situations. D Wade was looking good also. As usual Lebron disappeared for a while last night but did make that nice bank shot down the stretch. This is going to be a nail biter.

Darren - its funny you say that. right at the end when he had those 2 free throws, they went to a commercial break. they showed Lebrons face as he is walking away from the basket, and I told myself that his eyes showed fear. I swear he had the look that he knew he had 2 free throws to make, and he was ****ting his pants. and then he sank them as well as Jeff Hornacek would have. he stepped it up big time in a must win game. good for him. I still hope they lose the next 3 games though.

What does Lebron have to do?!?!? For people to stop thinking he shrinks in big games.
Lebron only lead/tied all scorers with 32, second in assists w/ 5, and second in rebounds w/ 8.

Exactly. Dude has been unbelievable in the playoffs. And in game 2 he clearly wanted the ball at the end of the fourth. Granted, he missed the big three-pointer, but he stepped up and took it. And he dropped those free throws like there was nothing riding on them at all.

As for OKC. Dayummmm. Westbrook has the fastest cut to the hoop I've ever seen. Seriously, kid is a blur. And Durant is amazing. When he shoots, you just expect it to go in. He had one dunk last night that looked inhuman. I didn't think he was anywhere near close enough to flush it. He also had a drive in game one that showed him go almost the entire length of the floor with only two dribbles.

Rich yeah the whole 2 dribble from 3/4 court was crazy insane. Just to clarify on Lebron James. I am a huge fan but as Train said it seems to me that Lebron really is nervous in those last 30 seconds when the game is riding on whether he makes it or not. I also see fear in his eyes. On the flip side I think James is so good, that even though he scored 32, for him that is not his best. James has the ability to score 40 a game. Yes he is that talented.

My only beef with James is that I do not believe that he believes it himself. There are guys out there that absolutely want the ball in that situation, MJ - Magic - Bird - Reggie Miller. You could just tell they were salivating to win the game. Lebron still looks gun shy to me and I don't know where that comes from. That is just my opinion of course judging from what I see. Is he still amazing? Yup, can he be better? yup that's all I'm saying.

Whats up with the Thunder foul shooting.. from best in the league to 63%?? That alone could be the diff in this series. Still need to get more out of Hardin, Ibaka ...if they expect to win. Lights too bright for these guys?
@Train, Props for the sweet Hornacek reference...can it be Hornacek w/o the brow wipe?

Whats up with the Thunder foul shooting.. from best in the league to 63%?? That alone could be the diff in this series. Still need to get more out of Hardin, Ibaka ...if they expect to win. Lights too bright for these guys?

Definitely could be the weakness in a young team. Miami has been SO aggressive... especially James. The Thunder doesn't seem to really know how to match aggression with aggression. They're reaching and getting into foul trouble, which seems to be affecting their game. Hardin is killing himself on D, which is keeping him from getting out and doing damage at the offensive end.

Only thing I can figure on the free throws is that they're totally out of rhythm because of everything else.

Plus, what's up with benching Westbrook and Durant at the same time in the 2nd half?Bad coaching decision IMO. They are definitely not playing in the same way that got them where they are.

Scary thing for a Miami fan? ... the Thunder was up by 10 in the 3rd. AND, as bad as they shot from the line... as little as their big guns really had to offer... they still almost took that game. Definitely had a chance anyway.

"finals are no joke this year"
Sadly, the refs are again. Missing lebrons foul on durant at theend of game 2 was huge. Calling a nonsense blocking foul on hardin at end of game 3 was huge. These refs suck.

You watch these games in super slow-mo and probably HD. The refs are making calls real time, at crazy angles and at almost super-human speeds. I get crazy angry over bad calls too... but they've been going both ways in this series. If you're trying to say that call in game 2 was the deciding factor, I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree. The Thunder sucked HUGE in the first quarter. Sure, they came back and made a game of it... but that one non-call that "might" have allowed Durant to tie the game with free throws didn't decide anything. In fact, there was a clear charge that Battier took moments earlier that should have fouled Durant out. They got that call wrong too...

Imperfect refs? Absolutely. Saying they're a joke is just silly. Not trying to attack you Train... I just get tired of NBA fans always going back to the refs. There are a heckuva lot more factors in these games then those guys.

dont feel like you are attacking me Rich, we are all allowed our own opinions, aside from what others on here say!
just because a team sucked in certain parts of the game, in no way implies they deserve to lose though. basketball is all about streaks. that non call against lebron was pathetic, as the ref was less than 10 feet away from the play, and lebron clearly had his arm and hand leveled against durants arm while he was beginning and ending his shot. the charging non or actual calls bother me beyond belief. it is absolutely ridiculous for them to be able to make a good call either way on those. I hate when players slide into position after the offensive player is pretty much left the ground and they get called for a charge. its a joke. the charge and blocking fouls need to be changed a bit. it could elimiinate the flopping issues as well a bit.

Yes, ScottBrooks cannot take westbrook AND durant out at the same time and leave Hardin out there on his own. I dont think Brooks wanted to, but isnt that when Durant got his 4th foul. I dont think Durant has ever had to guard a freight train like James before.

Give me a break man... Last night, Westbrook rarely got touched. He's just to dang quick. When he makes his move, he's simply blowing people away... they aren't getting a hand on him. That was an amazing performance. Unfortunately for them, he had zero help... and teams historically don't win with high scoring point guards.
And Durant hasn't been playing aggressively at all. Of course they don't get the calls LBJ and Wade get... they're playing a completely different style of hoops.

I also disagree with you on LeBron being gutless. If you cramp up and can't walk, that's it. You come out of the game wether you like it or not... or else you hurt your team. The fact that he tried to stay in shows his guts... and if you don't buy that, how bout the 3 he hit? Took the lead and they never gave it up after that. Not too gutless, eh? Especially for a guy everyone says shrinks from the big shot moments.